Play Strategy Consultations

Play Strategy for Children and Young People in Your Area

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council is working on the development of a Play Strategy for the District. The Council has completed preliminary work to facilitate the strategy by assessing the current situation, understanding the needs of the district and provide a single mechanism within the Council area which would bring together key public sector agencies alongside community representatives and children and young people.

This Strategy will act as the guidance document to develop if needed or create a more efficient, effective play provision within our District.  This document/strategy will also give guidance to Council over the next five years where the Council is required to continue to monitor policy areas and develop those highlighted in areas which fall short of the Play Guidance detail.

The Council have commenced work on the foundations of the strategy including:

•  Establish a Play and Leisure Partnership.

•  Launch free play initiatives and procurement of play pods.

•  Undertake an audit of all our existing fixed play parks.

•  Undertake demographical analysis of the district using GIS mapping technology to identify areas of need.

  Appoint a consultant to develop the overall strategy. 

We now need to discuss what is involved in taking these factors forward and how we can work together to make a marked difference for the future of all of play for the children and young people of the district.

The main techniques used for the consultation will be;

• Focus group sessions for children

• Online Survey for children

• Elected member workshops (1 held in September)

• Feedback from Play and Leisure Partnership (statutory/non-statutory stakeholders)

• Online Surveys for community groups, parents and carers and members of the public

• Individual community groups can request a meeting with Playboard

• Additional consultation workshops across the district to cover any other interested parties (3 pre-strategy workshops covering the 7 DEAs and 3 post-strategy workshops covering the 7 DEAs)

This will help shape the strategy and also give the public an opportunity to feed into the final draft, prior to publication, Please see details below. 

Pre Strategy Consultations

Final Draft Strategy Consultations

During these consultations and workshops to review the Strategy, Playboard NI will be facilitating these discussions. We invite you to join Alan Herron at a convenient location and time to discuss your thoughts and ideas for Play in the District, and to assist in identifying the most relevant steps that we should be taking in the next five years.

These consultations will allow us to identify how, where and when we can best apply the recommendations of the strategy and what will need to change if the aims are to be achieved.

We look forward to hearing from you to explore how a collaborative and more strategic approach that continues to build on our strengths and accomplishments can make a difference in establishing Newry, Mourne and Down District Council as a leader in Play for children and young people.

For your relevant consultation survey link please see below:

Children and Young Peoples Survey:https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ChildrensPlaySurveyNMD

Parents/Carers Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ParentsCarersPlayNMD

Community Organisations Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/CommunityPlaySurveyNMD 

For further information please contact:

Alan Herron

Director of Service Delivery and Development

7 Crescent Gardens

BELFAST

BT7 1NS

Tel: 028 90803380

Email: alan.herron@playboard.co.uk